Game of Blood: Chasing the Sun
by Huntress of Sacred Dreams
Summary: "Five have been chosen; born in the darkest of times; blessed by the purest of hearts; soiled by the harshest of lives. They will cast out the shadows and bring back the light. But not without hardships, for all victories must be won with loss." A new era has begun, marked by the setting of the sun and the rising of a blood moon. Five have been marked to combat it, or die trying.
1. Prologue

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_"For sixteen moons you have hidden behind her shadow, done what she told you when she told you with no argument. It's not who you are. It's not who you're supposed to be. How long has it been since you last felt remorse? Two days or two moons? We can hardly recognise you anymore. Does that bother you?" _

Her tail tip flicked with irritation, ears lay flat against her skull. Shame and anger flitted across her narrowed gaze as her lip curled to bare pointed teeth. "You know I have no control over it. As much as I dislike myself when her mind-control takes over I cannot stop it. I have tried _desperately _to free my mind but to no avail; inside I know that my mind will only be freed when she is dead but on the outside I hope that I will one day be strong enough to pry her claws from my mind."

A low chuckle filled the translucent forest that wavered and flickered like a living flame. It was a bright, warm forest compared to the one that grew darker with every passing day despite the fact that everything was a bland shade of gray. _"For sixteen moons you have given us that same excuse but we have seen no progress from you in the direction of finding a way to expel her hold over you. All we have seen is you running rampage throughout the Clans, killing at your own will for the fun of it. How many families have you to blame for the loss of loved ones? Even _kits_, newborn kits that have barely begun to live, have fallen under your claws. You are the definition of a coward, Tornheart, and we want nothing more than to smite you down. But we cannot because the fate of the Clans – and this world – rests in your paws. We cannot change your fate. You will become an Upholder and you will be forced to repent your sins!"_

Tornheart found herself forced to her knees in a bow, faced towards the four Upholders that stood before her. Fate had been quickly replaced after his sudden death by the some unknown cat. Their usual calm presence had become stormy and filled with rage. Inside she was a raging mess of anger, humiliation and shame. How dare they? How dare they call her, their saviour, a coward!? Oh how she wanted to do nothing more than rise to her paws and strike down the three remaining Upholders and claim their power for herself. But with a low hiss Tornheart recalled their promise to free her mind from Crimson's influence. She would be free to make her own choices; free to pursue the life she had always wanted.

Over the past sixteen moons Tornheart had watched Clan after Clan fall into a restless silence beneath Crimson's iron rule. Cats that had only just begun to live struck down by sharp claws. Families torn apart to become nothing more than a reminder of the dark times the Clans had fallen into it. A blood red moon constantly hung suspended in the sky, even when the dulling golden rays of the sun warmed the ground, making sure no cat forgot who now ruled them.

"I apologise for the heinous acts of crime I have had to commit to remain hidden from Crimson's suspicions. But there is nothing I can do about it now. It is in the past." Tornheart's voice was low and grated, filled with seething rage as she glowered from her bowed position at the four translucent Upholders.

Change snorted. _"You apology is nearly as clear as a small brook. But it will have to do. We have a mission for you, Tornheart of Rogues. An extremely important mission that you can tell no one of as when you accept this mission – which you_ will_ – the fate of all six Clans and the world will rest in your paws. If you die so will this world." _

The weight of the fate of the entire world suddenly weighed on Tornheart's shoulders, pressing her chest against the ground. She took a heaving breath to settle her racing heart and fraying nerves but it didn't really help. What would happen if Crimson found out? Tornheart had a feeling her pathetic life might come to a rather sudden end if her 'friend' found out. "What exactly is this mission?" she asked with narrowed eyes. Surely it would be easier just to let Crimson's rule run its course and eventually fizzle out?

_"We have chosen five to save this world from Crimson and her growing armies. You are to find these five and guide them along their incredibly dark path to where the sun sets lower with every passing day. It is their destiny – their fate – to chase the sun and return it to its rightful spot, perched high in the sky for the rest of eternity. They must be the ones to make this journey and they must be the ones to work out all the troubles they face. You cannot do it for them. You will merely be their guide. Do you understand?" _

She nodded her sleek black head, "mostly. How am I supposed to find these five cats? I assume they are from the Clans but if they are then why aren't there six cats?"

_"Two Clans have never looked to the stars for their ancestors so we refuse to acknowledge them as a Clan. However within one of them we have found a cat whose heart and mind has yet to be tainted by the darkness of unbelief. So only one Clan will not be giving a member for this cause." _

Destiny raised her triangular, pointed head to share a quick glance with Time. The glance sparked a flicker of curiosity within Tornheart. _"Five have been chosen; born in the darkest of times; blessed by the purest of hearts; soiled by the harshest of lives. They will cast out the shadows and bring back the light. Bt not without hardships, for all victories must be won with loss. Look for the mark on their shoulder; a scar where no fur has grown. All five will have it and all five will loath it." _

Tornheart's eyes widened considerably as a sound of disgust worked its way from her throat. _A prophecy!? _"I cannot believe this. The world is teetering on the edge of destruction and the only thing you're going to do is send a stupid prophecy!? You know what? It's really starting to look like you don't have as much power as you are claiming to have!"

A roaring sound like thunder rippled through the gray expanse of colourless trees and grass, forcing Tornheart to her knees once more. She gritted her teeth against the excruciating pain in her eardrums as the roaring grew louder and pressed harder against her delicate hearing. Through the thunder she heard a mix of all four Upholder voices; whistling like the wind. _"Underestimate our power and we _will _make you hurt._ _We understand your distrust of us and we understand your disbelief regarding our way of dealing with this situation but we have faced worse than this. We know what to do, so listen to us and do what we tell you!" _

Silence replaced the roaring sound so suddenly that it left an uncomfortable ringing sound that refused to stop in Tornheart's ears. In an attempt to quieten the ringing she flattened her ears against her head but the ringing did not stop; instead it worsened. A warm, sticky liquid began to dribble down her cheeks from her ears and panic set in. Surely the Upholders weren't going to kill her? Hadn't they said that they needed her? "Stop!" she begged. "Stop, please! I'm sorry for not trusting you! It's hard to trust any cats nowadays! I swear I'll try harder to find and guide these five cats just make it stop!"

Murmurs reached her ears through the painful ringing and for a frightening instant Tornheart thought that they were going to let her die; that they were going to kill her. The ringing died down slowly before it vanished entirely and Tornheart took a deep breath, letting it out in a long sigh of relief. _"You have one moon to find the Chosen and set them off on their journey. If in one moon the Chosen have not been found then Crimson will learn of their fate and kill them; thus ending this era in a tide of blood." _

_"When you find them tell them of four keys that they will need." _

Tornheart rose to her paws unsteadily, breathe coming in rasping gasps, "one moon to travel to the Clans and find five cats!? It'll take me almost half a moon to travel there! What keys!? This journey you're planning on sending these cats on is starting to sound rather impossible."

_"Then you'll have half a moon to find them. They have been chosen because we _know _they can do this. We believe in them, as should you."_

"I never said I didn't believe in them," Tornheart hissed, "I just don't want to trust them with saving the world before I've met them but that's probably just my own trust issues. Somehow I'll make it down to the Clans and find them within a moon but after that it's up to you. I can't keep risking Crimson finding out. It'll be better for me and for the Clans if I stay with Crimson, pretending that I'm still under her mind-control." A small wave of sadness and guilt washed over Tornheart. "I regret the things I have done but I don't regret the path I have taken. My destiny, my fate – whatever my path is – hasn't been a necessarily good one but it is my own and I suppose I should thank you for it. I mightn't ever see you four again before you fade away and I replace you so I guess this is goodbye?"

Of all the Upholders it was Change that stepped forward to press her –surprisingly – cold but solid nose against Tornheart's cheek. _"We've been with you since you were born, Tornheart. We do not wish to never see you again and we will miss you as much as you will miss us. We are part of each other, now and forever. Don't forget that, dear. Don't forget that you aren't unwanted no matter what other cats will tell you. You have been wanted since the day you were born, just not by the cats you wanted to be wanted by. Fate and Destiny still have some twists left to add to your life as have I but they are good twists; ones that we have added in the hope that you will be given the chance to have a decent life before you begin your second life as the Supreme Guardian. Good luck, Tornheart of Rogues, good luck and goodbye." _

Before Tornheart could reply the world pitched out from beneath her paws, plunging the young she-cat into an abyss of blackness that surged up to greet her with icy claws. Cold wind whipped at her pelt and she truly felt as if she was falling.

She gasped as she sat upright in her nest and stared absently at the moss, bracken and feathers that were now scattered throughout her small den. A trickle of pale dawn light shone in through a crack in the wall, allowing Tornheart to vaguely smell the crisp air mountain air that filtered in. Claws clicked against the stone outside her cavern den and black fur that stood out against the pale gray stone walls shifted into view. Blood red eyes glinted at Tornheart from the darkness, blood red eyes that were usually narrowed with malice were instead widened with uncertainty. It was unusual for Tornheart to see her leader wandering the halls of her mountain palace much before sunrise but it was even more unusual to see her leader standing hesitantly outside her den as if she was waiting to be invited in.

"Crimson?" Tornheart called quietly.

The red-eyed she-cat looked up from her paws and extended her head into the small cavern, shifting aside the hanging moss that hung lazily from the roof of the cavern. "M-may I speak with you?" Crimson asked meekly.

Her tone, her personality; all of it was so out of character. Crimson was acting like a shy little kit that had just been scolded or an apprentice that had been rejected for love. It was a first for Tornheart to be able to say no to her leader but then she remembered that she had to pretend to still be bound to Crimson and being bound meant saying yes. "Of course," she answered patting a second nest next to her with her tail. Why Crimson had ordered two nests be constructed within Tornheart's den still remained unknown to the future Upholder. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I want to tell you something and then I need your advice. There was no way Jinx could be trusted with this information without using it against me, Frozengaze would just silently judge like he always does and none of the rogues that have joined us would care. You're the only one left, Tornheart, even if your mind is slightly warped. Maybe that tiny bit of your mind I left free will be the one to give advice." Crimson almost seemed to sneak over to the second nest, her paws making little sound on the stone floor. For once her claws were sheathed and her fur lay flat against her body instead of bristling with anger or annoyance. It made her look beautiful and almost normal, such a strange look for such an intimidating being.

"Go ahead, I'm all ears." Tornheart wiggled her ears for added amusement and found Crimson smiling slightly. _Something strange is going on. _

Crimson shifted in the nest, flicking her tail over her paws in an attempt to make herself comfortable. "I've been having such awful dreams lately. The Clans, they turn on me. They send five cats to kill me and somehow they do! My head….they cut it off! Every night I see the same thing, it never changes and I'm starting to fear that I am somehow seeing my future. I've been trying to see what these cats look like but it's so hard to see past the blur of my dreams but I'm getting there. Soon I hope to be able to see them entirely and then kill them before they can kill me." Her eyes iced over slightly with what looked to be fear. "But I'm afraid, Tornheart. I'm afraid of who I'll hurt if I do try to kill them.

"But you don't care about anyone in the Clans? Why does it matter to you if you harm a few Clan cats? You've never really cared much before."

The black furred she-cat gently shook her head, "the cats I'm afraid to hurt aren't in the Clan." Then she leant over and whispered in Tornheart's ear a secret she had been hiding from all of her followers.

It was in that moment that Tornheart realised exactly what she was dealing with and how hard the following moons were going to be.

_"I'm pregnant..." _

* * *

**AN: So this took me longer than expected to write. I guess I just needed a longer break from writing. So, anyway, welcome back to Game of Blood! This is the sequel to Crimson Moon for those that don't know. I'm hoping that this story can become even more popular than Crimson Moon did so I'm aiming for 300 reviews. Aiming a bit too high, aren't I? **

**It's set sixteen moons into the future from the final chapter of Crimson Moon, by the way, so most Clans have gone through major rank changes and most of the cats from the previous story are gone. Some are still there. **

**-Hunter**


	2. Chapter One: Blood in the Snow

**¢нαρтєя σηє: Bℓσσ∂ ιη тнє ѕησω**

Thick snow had fallen overnight, covering pale green grass with a blanket of cold powder. Grey clouds still bubbled and boiled in the sky but it could not stop the red light pulsating from the low hanging blood moon. It cast an ugly feeling down on the cats living underneath it. Sure the sun still rose every morning but every cat could tell that it was rising less and less each day. The Clans were worried that one day…one day they'd wake up but the sun wouldn't and they'd be stuck in eternal darkness ruled over by a bloodthirsty she-cat. Not that Crimson ever really made her presence known within the six Clans anymore, not since she'd raised her mountain kingdom from the ground and taken her two blood-oath takers plus the strange tom with her. Yet there were always rumours of a shadowy figure gliding through the forest with eyes as red as blood. Even when Crimson was so far away she seemed so close.

Still her army remained behind slowly growing with each passing day. Every now and again a living cat with control over his or her memory would appear alongside the army, working alongside them. It was clear to the Clans that Crimson no longer needed to brainwash cats for them to work for her. Rogues wanted to be part of this growing army and were travelling from all over just to become soldiers. It was horrifying to know that just beyond the Clan borders a huge army was growing waiting to attack once again.

Paw steps crunched against thick snow as a patrol of six cats made their way slowly across their territory. They didn't talk to each other because there was no need to. There was nothing to say. All they needed to do was travel to the far border with RogueClan, make their way along it until it became the border with CedarClan and then return to camp. Just like they did everyday and had done every day for what had felt like moons.

"I hate the cold and I hate the snow," one grumbled as she lifted one white paw and shook snow from it.

The leader of their patrol turned his golden brown head to shoot an annoyed glare at the she-cat, "well there's not much I can do about the cold and the snow, Icepetal."

Icepetal sneered, "You could stop dragging me on these stupid patrols. It's not as if we have a shortage of capable warriors, we have more warriors than any of the other Clans!"

"Which makes us a larger target to Crimson and her cronies!" he growled back with a rising voice. "Patrolling the borders allows the rest of the Clan to have peace of mind knowing that we have yet to be invaded. Or would you like another attack like the last one to occur?"

A small tortoiseshell she-cat sidled up to the arguing cats with chattering teeth. She barged her way in between them with a disappointed sound slipping from her mouth. "Aspenthorn is right. Having a larger Clan does make us a larger target but it also means we stand more of a chance against an attack because of our large numbers. Can't you two try and see this from a positive side? Leaf-bare is drawing to a close and soon prey will return. The lower parts of our territory will be snow-free whilst the upper parts get a little warmer. Hostilities between Clans are always less during new-leaf. Settle down, take a deep breath and let's get this patrol over with."

Icepetal lashed her brown tail before allowing the fur that had risen along her shoulders to flatten. Her Clan mate had a valid point but it still annoyed her that Aspenthorn kept organising her on patrols with him this early in the morning. She raised her head to look into the pale blue sky to find that the sun was only just peeking over the mountains. Behind her she knew the blood moon hung in the same place that it had risen. A shudder ran down her spine. It worried her that the sun didn't make it very high anymore. How long would it be until it didn't rise at all? A long time she hoped. "You like me too much, Aspenthorn," she teased coldly with a bat of her eyelids, "always putting me on the same patrols as me."

"He has a mate," a dull voice called through the silence of early morning as the fourth member of their patrol joined the three cats where they had stopped. "Even if they hardly get on anymore."

Aspenthorn shot the lithe silver she-cat a nasty look wanting nothing more than to apply a little blood to her faint tabby markings. "Your opinion isn't needed in this argument, Silverwater."

The tabby rolled her eyes and fell back into silence, cold green eyes clouded with grief. A chilly morning breeze ruffled their leaf-bare thickened pelts as they waited for the two remaining members of their patrol to plough through the snow and catch up. Squeals of delight pierced the silence as the tip of two pale brown ears peeked through the snow. Icepetal stifled an amused purr at the sight of only the long-legged apprentice's ears sticking through the snow. Her squeaks of delight as she ploughed through the snow were a pleasant thing to hear instead of moaning, grumpy, arguing cats. From behind the apprentice jogged a dark gray tabby, a smile curling at the corners of his muzzle as he grabbed the apprentice's pale brown scruff and hauled her on top of the snow.

Muffled voices could be heard as the tom demonstrated to the apprentice the art of walking light enough to stay on top of the snow instead of falling through it. "These patrols always take longer when we have an apprentice tagging along," Aspenthorn remarked with an annoyed tone and a sideways glance at the tortoiseshell she-cat, "I'm glad you didn't bring your apprentice, Pebblefrost. She's about as lively as a rock."

Pebblefrost rounded on him with a snarl and bared teeth. It was so unlike her to get angry that Icepetal took an uncertain step back. "How dare you speak about your daughter like that! She's just shy around warriors and I don't blame her seeing that they're all as bad tempered as you!" she snapped, cuffing Aspenthorn's ear hard. He winced and rubbed it with the side of his paw.

"Keep your claws to yourself or," he leaned in close to Pebblefrost's ear, "I'll tell Darkstar about your little meetings with that tom from RogueClan. Didn't Screech and Berrypaw's relationship scare you away from getting serious with toms from other Clans? More kits – half-Clan kits – are _just _what SnowClan needs right now."

Icepetal heard everything the arrogant tom said and refrained from allowing her claws to slit a slice out of his ear. She understood his concerns about more kits but it really wasn't his business what toms Pebblefrost was seeing. Sure the warrior code says that relationships with cats from different Clans are wrong but she saw them more as guidelines instead of rules. "Does it really matter whether or not she is seeing a tom from another Clan?" she hissed icily.

The look in Aspenthorn's amber eyes was a mixture of shock, confusion and anger as his lip curled followed by a shaky hiss. Icepetal didn't miss his claws sliding out from their sheaths and she did the same with hers, prepared to launch herself at this tom and teach him a lesson. "Sure you'd think that, rogue! Why'd Oakfrost even bring you and your siblings back with him? He should've just left you behind to die with your mother like the filthy rogue scum you are!"

A feral screech tore itself from Icepetal's throat as she leapt at Aspenthorn with outstretched paws that snaked around the tom's golden brown neck and dragged him down to the ground. Her hind legs pounded his stomach viciously as her forepaws tore into his shoulders and neck. "Never speak about my mother that way!" she shrieked through a mouthful of his fur.

"Let me go, crazy rogue!" Aspenthorn hollered as he tried to untangle himself from Icepetal but she was out for blood and wasn't going to be letting go anytime soon. He – after realising he'd have to fight his way out – sunk his teeth into her leg and yanked it, pulling Icepetal off of him and allowing him to flip over onto his paws. Once on his paws Aspenthorn swiped at her face, his claws drawing a bloody line on her cheek. Icepetal screeched and swept his paws out from under him before pressing her claws into his throat.

She panted slightly, drops of blood rolling off her cut cheek, as she stared down at the tom with stormy eyes. "I wouldn't kill such a handsome tom such as yourself," she masked her hurt with flirtatious behaviour. "But if you ever mention my mother in that way again I'll tear your eyes out and shove them down your throat so that you can watch me tear your heart out through your chest!" With a last cuff of Aspenthorn's head she stepped off of him, retreating to where aspen trees grew thick and marked the beginning of SnowClan's forested territory. From the shadows she could see Honeypaw and his mentor finally catch up with the rest of them, looks of surprise cast on their faces. She couldn't blame them. A warrior should never attack her own Clan mates.

Icepetal hung her head in defeat. She too often wondered why Oakfrost had brought her and her siblings back to SnowClan with him. According to him he'd found them mewling pitifully beside the bloody body of their mother with the stench of Crimson's soldiers radiating from her vicious wounds. Why hadn't he just left them there to die beside their mother? Often she questioned why she stayed in a Clan that didn't appreciate her or her siblings. Her sister had had the right idea. Ebony had left before her warrior ceremony saying that being alone by herself was better than being alone surrounded by other cats. Icepetal hadn't understood what her sister had meant but now she did.

She was alone in a Clan full of cats with only her brother and remaining sister for company.

A ragged sigh fell from her parted mouth as she turned away from the rest of the patrol that were still fussing over Aspenthorn and his minor injuries, turning her face to the peacefulness of the forest before her. Tweeting early morning bird calls sounded every few heartbeats as the forest slowly woke up from its peaceful slumber. A chilly breeze wafted the scents of prey, flowers and the faint scent of RogueClan towards Icepetal and she inhaled them greedily. She loved the forest when it was still waking despite the fact that the ground was still covered with snow. A raised head allowed her to see the morning blue sky through the tree leaves. Streaks of fading dawn colours – gold and orange and pink – mixed with the blue. Then there was the red hue stretching out to taint the blue.

Seeing the red caused Icepetal to snarl quietly. She hadn't been alive when Crimson had taken over but she'd seen her fair share of murder caused by the red-eyed she-cat that rarely showed herself amongst her subjects anymore. Even her cronies, Jinx the pretty blue-eyed rogue and Tornheart the Betrayer, were hardly ever seen. Only mindless soldiers with ugly brown pelts and dulled yellow eyes and rogue soldiers were seen.

"Something bothering you?" a deep voice broke the peacefulness of the forest. Icepetal tore her gaze from the blue sky to look into a pair of immaculate golden-coloured amber eyes. She felt her breath hitch in her throat at the sight of Aspenthorn's friendlier and handsomer brother.

"Just marvelling at the sky," she replied smoothly. "What are you doing all the way out here so early in the morning, Lightningfall? Not looking for me are we?" She winked and sidled over to the golden tabby, allowing her tail to brush lazily over one of his thin dark stripes.

Lightningfall batted his eyes in a joking manner, "oh, Icepetal, how did you guess?! I need to learn how to lie, sneak and hide better? Would you teach me?"

Icepetal debated hitting him. An amused purr rumbled in her chest as she butted his broad shoulder with her head. "Anything for you, handsome," she purred with a sultry tone.

"Anything indeed. But unfortunately I have a mate whom I love deeply and would never do a thing to hurt her. Better luck next time," he chuckled, shouldering Icepetal gently.

"That's never stopped you before," Icepetal grumbled. "Why is it that every tom in this confounded Clan has a mate?"

Lightningfall's expression darkened considerably as he sunk his claws into the frozen ground. He glanced sideways at the pretty she-cat with a narrowed gaze. "You promised to never speak of that night and you've stuck to that promise for a while. Don't break it now. Besides it was only one night. You of all cats I expected to understand the term 'one night only'."

The white she-cat with wiped at her brown face with a cold paw, "what would've happened if I had have gotten pregnant, Lightningfall? What grand excuse would you have come up with then? Forced me to keep quiet about it or lie and say they belong to a rogue and then ignore the fact that the kits looked like you? You really don't think these things true." Icepetal trotted off with a lash of her brown tail, not looking back to see if Lightningfall was following. She wanted to at least make it to the border before returning to camp.

Heavy footsteps from behind her told her that the tom was indeed following although she didn't know whether it was because he was angry or just looking for something to do. She hoped it wasn't the latter. "Really, Icepetal? The chances of you becoming pregnant from a single night are pretty slim. Not only did I betray my promise to Mintfeather but you also broke the no speaking whilst on vigil rule as well as left the Clan unguarded! I was hardly in the wrong that night!"

Icepetal twisted her head to spit at him. "Don't you bring my vigil into this! You knew darn well why I wanted to break the rules regarding vigils and you quite happily agreed knowing that you'd be breaking a promise you made to your ditsy mate."

Lightningfall's face twisted into an expression of anger and hurt, "don't you dare speak about my mate in that way!" he shouted before his paws got tangled up in a lone stick. The ground rushed up to meet him with a soft thud that vibrated the snow under Icepetal's paw.

As if a spell had been broken both cats forgot their anger and resentment towards each other and collapsed into fits of amused purrs. Icepetal took a deep breath as her purrs came to a halt, drinking in the cold air as it refilled her lungs. She smiled an amused smile down at her friend as he scraped snow and ice off of his face with a large paw. He returned the smile before scrambling back to his paws and shaking the snow from his pelt. "I hate it when we argue, I really do," Icepetal admitted pressing her nose against Lightningfall's cheek.

"So do I, it always leaves a foul taste in my mouth afterwards." He sighed sadly when Icepetal withdrew her nose from his cheek. "You're a great cat, Icepetal, and I'll be jealous of whatever tom strikes your fancy enough that you fall in love with him and make him your mate despite the fact that you seem to be more flirty than romantic. I can hardly imagine you settling down with a tom and having kits but I suppose it'll happen one day, maybe when I'm old and have gray fur," he winked, "just promise me you won't do anything stupid and get yourself killed before then."

Icepetal blinked at him, surprised at how much he cared for her; a rogue with no Clan blood whatsoever. "I promise I won't get myself killed before you have gray fur and before I have a mate and kits no matter how unlike me that sounds. Would you like to finish a patrol with me? I kinda have a hunch that the other members of the patrol I was on won't be finishing it today."

"Why's that?" Lightningfall asked, trotting beside Icepetal as they resumed the patrol.

She smirked. "I may or may not have attacked your brother and then threatened him."

"Tell me everything, right now!"

**-000-**

The patrol was going well; no signs of any border crossings or anything like that. It annoyed Icepetal a little to found out that – yet again – the Clans were still peaceful. A little battle or hatred was interesting. Right now her life just seemed to be the same day after day. Wake up, patrol, return to camp, go hunting, return to camp, flirt with a few toms, eat, be yelled at by said toms mates, sleep and then wake up to start it all over again.

She scowled as her thoughts returned to Crimson once more. All this peace between Clans was caused by fear towards her. If she was dead then that fear would go away and the Clans would return to how they were in elders tales, fighting over food and territory. Sometimes even the Game of Blood sounded more intriguing and fun that this life. She hadn't been part of SnowClan when the final Games had been played. According to Lightningfall's father, Brackenclaw, they'd been punishment for a group of cats from RisingClan trying to escape the valley and hunt down Crimson. Two cats from each Clan had been dragged by their tails and thrown into a network of underground caves and told to fight or die. Silverwater's father and sister had been SnowClan's tributes back when she was still an apprentice. The small she-cat had watched as her father murdered her sister in cold blood and was then struck down by a WaveClan tom.

Silverwater had never really been the same since.

"You're deep in thought again, Icepetal. Thinking about Crimson?" Lightningfall nudged the she-cat gently to draw her back out from her thinking. She did that a lot lately and it worried him slightly. She used to be so lively.

Icepetal shook her head to clear her thoughts – a habit of hers. "Yes. For some reason I seem to be thinking a lot about just her recently. Crimson always manages to sneak back into my thoughts no matter what I'm doing."

"That's _Mistress _Crimson to you, scum." The voice that slipped through their conversation hissed like a snake, dripping with malice and hatred. It was a deep voice, detailing the strength Icepetal knew she would find within a thickset, bulky tom when she turned around. Yet through the hiss coated with hatred she could sense an aura of pain and grief. The speaker had witness his fair share of death, she was sure of it. With a barbed tongue ready to fire off sharp words, Icepetal turned and met the keen, hawk-like gaze of a large gray speckled tom with a black muzzle and stripe running down his spine. Beside him stood four mindless soldiers, their emotionless yellow eyes focused on the two warriors that hovered dangerously close to RougeClan's territory.

"Calm yourself, Jasper. They will not attack when so badly outnumbered." The second voice that spoke was clearly female. It was softened by an innocent tone, dulled by grief, hardened by power and sharpened by a want to survive. Icepetal refrained from taking a halting step back by the amount of power she could feel surging from the voice of this hidden stranger. Whoever it was she sounded so innocent.

From behind the rogue who had been called Jasper stepped out a sleek yet muscled black she-cat with flecks of red scattered across her fur. Her eyes remained focused on the ground where neither Lightningfall nor Icepetal could see their colour. Scars laced her muscled body both old and fresh whilst every time she-cat breathed she winced. It was clear to Icepetal that she was injured and it was also clear to her that this she-cat held a different kind of beauty; dangerous and dark. Curiosity to know the colour of this she-cat's eyes tugged at the corner of her mind. Was she hiding them?

"Who are you?" Lightningfall demanded carefully. He too could sense the power radiating from this strange she-cat and he had figured that she was not just another one of Crimson's soldiers. She was more important.

The she-cat raised her head and allowed her eyes to flick up from the ground. Icepetal held back a shocked gasp at the sight of the green orbs that looked more like rich, dark green leaves set into the she-cat's skull. Realisation formed in the back of Icepetal's mind. There was only one cat – renowned throught out the Clans – with such green eyes. "Tornheart the Betrayer." The words came out as a snarl as Icepetal stepped over the border to thrust her muzzle into the face of Tornheart so that her own muzzle hovered mere whiskers from the traitor's. "Rather risky of you showing your face around here, especially so close to your former Clan, don't you think?"

"I know the consequences of my actions have left most cats in the Clans to hate me but when I say I am here on a peaceful mission then I mean it. Lying is one thing I will not do happily or easily." Tornheart cocked her head to one side as curiosity pooled into her green eyes. "You are Icepetal, are you not?"

Icepetal took a stunned step back, blue eyes stretched wide with disbelief. "How..how'd you know my name!?" she exclaimed.

The black she-cat shifted her shoulders, "that is none of your concern." Tornheart's eyes fell on the circular scar on Icepetal's shoulder, a place where fur had refused to grow. Icepetal felt the traitor's gaze on her scar and shifted it out of sight, uncomfortable at the interest it sparked in Tornheart's eyes. "Where did you get that scar?" she asked breathlessly.

"Is it really any of your business? If you must know I've had it since I was born; just a random circle on my shoulder where no fur will grow," Icepetal sniffed in response, drawing a tongue over the scar in question. "I'd hardly call it a scar. More of a birthmark, really."

"Birthmark…yes," Tornheart breathed absently. Silence fell upon the group of cats as Tornheart's eyes became clouded. It was clear that she'd fallen deep into thought. Jasper shifted closer to his leader, claws sliding from their sheaths in case the Clan cats decided to attack. The soldiers did the same.

Lightningfall tugged on Icepetal's tail with his teeth, drawing her back to him. He placed his muzzle near her ear and began to whisper, "Why do you think Crimson's right-paw cat is all the way down here?"

She shrugged in response for she really didn't have any idea. "Maybe she's checking up on the Clans for Crimson? I'm not sure, Lightningfall. Whatever the reason is I doubt it's good."

The tom grunted in response and lapsed back into silence. Icepetal grasped the silence as another chance to study the she-cat that had betrayed the Clans more closely. Tornheart was no longer the small, innocent, scared she-cat that she'd always been described as; with little muscle and shy nature. Muscle bulged and rippled whenever she twitched or even moved a clear sign that Crimson was a demanding master. Or that Tornheart had wanted to bulk up and become stronger than she had been. Scars ran thick across her body; her muzzle was particularly scratched up and a long scar had narrowly missed cutting into her left eye. Icepetal deduced two things from this. One; Crimson was a cruel master and inflicted painful punishment on a regular basis. Two; Tornheart had seen a lot of battle recently. She couldn't pick which one she preferred.

Icepetal peered closer to the black furred she-cat trying to figure out her age. She knew Tornheart was older than her by quite a few moons but she didn't know how many moons. From elder's tales she knew that Tornheart had never finished her Clan based apprenticeship but it was assumed that Crimson had taught her the ins and outs of battle and hunting. Or Tornheart had been forced to learn during battle. Icepetal cringed. That didn't sound particularly nice. Tornheart had an aura of prowess around her that was easy to miss if one became preoccupied by the power radiating from her. She seemed to hold herself in a proud way as if she held pride in who she had become and what she had done. Icepetal curled her lip and then sensed wisdom beneath the pride, prowess and power. It confused her. How could one so young hold wisdom so strong that it radiated from her very being?

Her time of studying was up as Tornheart straightened, green eyes penetrating Icepetal's very soul. She shuddered. "Icepetal," the traitor's voice was a mere murmur, "may I speak with you alone?"

"Alone? Why would you want to do that? Aren't I just Clan scum?" Icepetal shot Jasper a filthy look which was returned with a growl.

Tornheart sighed tiredly and for the first time Icepetal could see the weariness – the exhaustion – that pulled down on the she-cat's body. She cocked her head. Tornheart had travelled a fair way it seemed. "Please. It is extremely important."

A shoulder nudged Icepetal's flank so she turned to look into Lightningfall's worried golden eyes. She smiled reassuringly but she knew it did not reach her eyes. "If I speak with you how can I know that your soldiers will not attack and kill my friend?"

"You have my word." Icepetal snorted in disbelief earning a narrowed gaze from Tornheart. "I do not break promises easily just as I hate lying. Your friend will remain unharmed." Neither Clan cat moved. They simply remained standing, ear and tail tips twitching as they mulled over what they could do. It was Icepetal that stepped forward first, allowing her entire streamline body to pass over the border with RogueClan. Tornheart's muzzle quirked up in a tiny smile, "thank you. You won't be disappointed, I assure you. What I have to say involves you greatly. Come over here please."

"Wait!" Jasped called hoarsely. "Don't you want me to come with you? You know, in case she attacks?"

The black furred she-cat gently shook her head, green eyes brimming with thanks. "That won't be necessary, Jasper. To this she-cat I have promised the safety of her friend and in return I hope she will keep me safe. I won't be long." Then she turned and trotted further into RogueClan territory, where thick pine trees cast long shadows dancing across the forest floor. Icepetal took one last look at Lightningfall before following Tornheart into RogueClan territory.

She hadn't walked very far before she came upon Crimson's crony, head bowed and muttering strange words under her breath. Icepetal's brow quirked up in a questioning look. "Don't look at me like that," Tornheart didn't even raise her head. "I am merely casting a spell to make sure what we say cannot be heard by any other cat."

"Casting a spell!? That's stupid! Even the youngest kit knows that magic isn't real," Icepetal scoffed as Tornheart continued to mutter her strange words.

Moments passed before the black she-cat looked up with clear, focused eyes. "It is not magic. It is a gift I was given. Regardless of whether you believe in spell-casting or not it is now safe to speak here without the chance of some cat overhearing us."

"Given by whom?"

"Does it matter? All that matters is what I am here to speak to you about and if you don't mind I'd like to get on with it before Crimson notices my absence and sends her army to look for me."

Icepetal stared at the she-cat standing before her. "Crimson doesn't know you're down here? What's so important that you can't tell your own leader where you're going?"

"Because what I am about to tell you will lead to Crimson's destruction."

_That _got Icepetal's full attention. Had Tornheart discovered a way for the supposedly immortal she-cat's downfall? "Why would _you _want Crimson dead? Aren't you one of her closest supporters?"

Tornheart hung her head slightly in shame, "when Crimson took my Blood-Oath she withheld as much information from me as possible; preyed on my weaknesses at the time of entering RisingClan as a new apprentice to draw me into what seemed like a good future. I had no idea at the time that Crimson planned to take over the Clans with as much force as possible. When I found out what she was going to do I began to feel remorse and hesitated before I did anything she asked. Eventually Crimson grew tired of my constant changing thoughts so she took over my mind. That's why I've done what I've done for the past moons. I had no way of stopping myself. But I'm free of that my mind control now and I bring with me a prophecy."

"Prophecy?" Icepetal's ears twitched at the word. Prophecies were useless words unless given to the correct cats; the ones that knew what they were doing. Realisation dawned on her and her blood rain icy cold. "Oh no. No, no no no! Don't tell me I'm part of this prophecy!"

"You are. That scar on your shoulder isn't a scar but a mark that four other Clan cats have. It shows that you have been chosen to save these Clans and the world by destroying Crimson once and for all, but we have to find the others first." Tornheart continued to speak but her words were lost on Icepetal. She stood deathly still, blue eyes focused on nothing at all. Fragile thoughts bounced around in her head. She, a cat with no Clan blood in her veins, had been chosen as one of their saviours? Obviously the prophecy's creator hadn't thought very well about the cats chosen. "Icepetal? Are you listening?"

She shook her brown head, her usual habit when it came to chasing rogue thoughts from her mind. "Not for the last bit, no. Sorry, it's just a bit much to take in. Would you mind telling me what the prophecy said so that I can comprehend it completely?"

"Of course. Five have been chosen; born in the darkest of times; blessed by the purest of hearts; soiled by the harshest of lives. They will cast out the shadows and bring back the light. But not without hardships, for all victories must be won with loss," Tornheart recited easily.

Icepetal nearly laughed. Blessed by the purest of hearts? She hardly had a pure heart, more like a blackened heart that was all shrivelled up and on the verge of death. But she bit back her laugh to stare intently into the green depths that were Tornheart's eyes. "Who gave you this prophecy?"

"The four Upholders, age old spirits that control destiny, time, change and fate. I doubt that you will get the chance to meet them in this life or the next seeing as Crimson's dark power is leeching the very life force from them," Tornheart replied bitterly with a curled lip before her face fell into a deep sadness. "They were the only cats I had left that cared for me and I have been forbidden to ever see them again thanks to Crimson."

"I thought you said you were free of Crimson's mind powers?"

Tornheart nodded, "I am. But I still have to act as if I am still trapped by it or she will simply corrupt me again and without access to the Upholders I'd have no way of ridding myself of her again. Which is why we have to be quick! You must come with me so that I can find the others so your journey can begin. It will certainly take you a while to reach her kingdom once she can finally see your faces in her dreams and sets trap for you."

The white she-cat pinned her ears to her skull, taking a hesitant step back. "She can see our faces in her dreams?" Her voice shook. "So she'll find me regardless of whether I go with you or not?"

"Yes. And when she finds you she will kill you with no remorse to make sure she is safe."

"Oh. Can..Can I have a little while to think about this, Tornheart? So that I can decide whether you're telling the truth or if you're leading me into a trap? It's all a bit much to take in. Surely a cat such as yourself would know what it's like to be presented with a choice and have little time to think about it? Didn't you betray the Clan last time you were given a choi-" Icepetal could not finished her sentence before she was thorn violently to the ground with a snarling, hissing sound dripping into her ears. She wriggled in an attempt to free herself but Tornheart's grip was strong as her claws dug into Icepetal's fur drawing dots of scarlet blood. "Y-You promised Lightningfall that you wouldn't hurt me!" she choked out.

Tornheart's tail lashed as her lip curled and her claws dug a little deeper. "_Never_ call me a liar or even insinuate the fact that I might be a liar. I _never _lie." The air crackled with wild power as a rumble of thunder – low and loud like the roar of a lion – rolled across the sky despite the fact that there were no clouds and the sky was still a pale blue. A cold, icy feeling began to spread through Icepetal's veins as she felt her blood literally begin to freeze. She gasped, and then choked. "I speak the truth, Icepetal of SnowClan, this world will _die _if you do not rise to the call of destiny and kill Crimson. No longer can you think about the wellbeing of only yourself. As a team, you and the others will need to work together despite your differences." The black she-cat's eyes seemed to almost glow with an eerie green light but then she took a heaving breath and calmed, allowing Icepetal to scurry to her paws, desperately gasping for her as the ice in her blood melted. "You have until tonight to make up your mind. Then we _must _leave. I will wait for you on the border where we first met. I trust you will make the right decision."

A popping sound filled Icepetal's ears as the sudden feeling of being watched seeped into her body. From the bushes behind her stepped out Jasper and his patrol of mindless soldiers. His eyes were drawn tight with worry as he saw Tornheart's panting form but calmed slightly when she waved her tail at him in a disagreeing manner. "Putting that shield up turned out to be a good idea after all." Jasper smiled slightly at the words of his master. "I will remain around RogueClan territory until tonight when Icepetal will return to speak with me once again. You, Jasper, may return to the main encampment along with your squadron as I have no need of you anymore. Your service has been most valuable, dear Jasper, and I thank you for it." Tornheart smiled warmly; a smile that reached well into her eyes. Icepetal blinked in surprise. The she-cat before her was a ruthless killer, apparently a sorceress and partly had control over the Clans but was also compassionate – on the outside at least -, warm hearted and kind.

"No," Jasper growled with a stamp of his paw. "I have been told to remain with you at all times and I plan to stick by those orders I have received. Sorry, Tornheart, but I'm stuck with you until you leave the Clans again."

Tornheart sighed sadly before catching and holding Jasper's gaze. "I'm sorry," she whispered as her eyes began to glow green again, "but this is more important that you and your kit-like feelings. It means the world to me that you care enough to defy the word of your master but you are just a rogue talking to a ruler. I really am truly sorry." Even her eyes were sad as Icepetal watched Tornheart cast a spell.

"Of course, Lady Tornheart, it has been a pleasure travelling with you and I hope I see you again in the near future," Jasper rumbled as he bowed, much to Icepetal's surprise, low to the ground.

"Thank you, Jasper," Tornheart murmured as she watched the tom trot into the shadows in the direction of RogueClan's camp. She turned stiffly to eye Icepetal. "You best be returning to your Clan before they start worrying. They will need every warrior they can get before the sun sets this evening."

Icepetal's neck snapped to the side as her breath caught in her throat, "what do you mean!?"

"Crimson has decided that SnowClan has grown too large and needs to be…cut down to a smaller size," Tornheart answered slowly and uneasily.

"Oh, no." Icepetal's heart rate sped up as she whirled around on her paws, pausing to shout at Tornheart, "I will return here tonight, I promise you that!" before shooting off to where Lightningfall no doubt waited for her.

Snow sprayed out behind her as she dug her paws further into the snowy ground in the hopes of speeding herself up. There was no way she was going to let Crimson cull her Clan because it had grown too large over the past moons. As she ran she recalled an elder speaking about a similar attack on RisingClan two moons after Crimson had taken over. It had been an attack that had left RisingClan with few warriors and fewer hopes as their deputy at the time, Dancingwave, was left mortally wounded. The she-cat had been forced into the elders den far too soon. RisingClan was now the smallest Clan by far, more like a family group than a Clan; lead by Fallenshadow's remaining daughters, Singingriver and Dawningsun.

During Icepetal's lapse of concentration she failed to notice the border looming before her thus crashing straight into Lightningfall, sending them both tumbling to the ground in a pile of limbs and fur. She groaned whilst Lightningfall simply remained silent with a stunned look on his face. "What" he said after a moment's hesitation, "happened that caused you to _hurtle _into me?"

"Tornheart told me that Crimson had ordered an attack on SnowClan because we'd grown too large, too much of a threat to Crimson's rule. It supposed to happen today! Oh, Lightningfall, we have to get back and help them!" Panic threatened to overwhelm Icepetal as her breathing came in quick, short gasps. Her eyes widened largely as she stared down at her closest friend. He pressed his nose gently to her cheek.

"Calm down," he murmured. "We will return to the Clan and warn them. We have enough warriors to survive an attack like this if we can get to them first. Up on your paws now!" As soon as their paws hit the ground and they were standing straight up they took off towards their camp, paws flying across the snow as it slowly began to thicken as the forest thinned around them.

Lightningfall leapt over a log before shouting out to Icepetal, "so what did Tornheart the Betrayer want to talk to you about!?"

Icepetal opened her jaw to answer when the ghost of a breath stirred the fur within her ear and brought with it an eerily familiar voice. _"Don't tell a soul about the prophecy or your journey will be over before it's even started." _

She almost stumbled over a root that had broken the surface of the ground. "I wouldn't be able to tell you even if I wanted to! But it's important enough that I have to leave the Clan for a little while!"

The look on Lightningfall's face as he swerved dangerously around a tree to run alongside Icepetal was one of pure horror mixed with a little shock. "What do you mean you have to leave the Clan!? Both ducked under a low hanging branch and broke free from the forest into the freedom of the open snow plain. They sped up, hugging close to the ground. SnowClan's camp still lay hidden behind a rise in the earth that had created a hill.

"It's important, Lightningfall, really important. I'm not even sure if I'm going to go yet but if I do I might be gone for a long time. But I'll come home! I promise!"

Lightningfall grunted in response, a sound that Icepetal nearly missed over the sound of the wind howling in her ears. Their paws met the raised earth of the hill and they threw themselves up it, muscles shrieking in protest as their claws scraped against rocks hidden under the firm snow. As they reached the crest they were greeted with a horrifying sight. An entire army of dull pelts dotted with a few coloured pelts poised outside the bramble barrier that enclosed SnowClan's camp within a dip in the ground. Before Icepetal could stop it a shrieking howl ripped free from her lungs but it was too late. The army launched forwards and the peaceful morning was met with shrieks of surprise and howls of agony.

Another siege for another camp had begun and Icepetal threw herself down the side of the hill, legs extending to their full length as she frantically pelted towards her family and friends. The bramble barrier had been shredded to near non-existence so she was met with no resistance as she pounded through it and plunged into the fray of battle.

Blood spattered her fur as claws sliced through fur. Cat grappled with cat as life and death played yet another deadly game with their living pawns. Icepetal shuddered every time a body hit the ground and did not rise again, regardless of whether they were enemy or friend. They had lived a life before Crimson had sucked the life from them. Her thoughts were shattered when a bulky tom with angry yellow eyes seemed to rise up from the ground beneath her paws and send her tumbling to the ground with a swipe of his massive paw. In an instance her battle training all came rushing back to her and she rolled to the side to avoid the massive paw as it slammed into the ground with the force of a small tree. With speed rarely found in SnowClan cats Icepetal surged to her paws, snaked them around the tom's chest and bit into his throat.

He screeched, paws flailing as he tried to pry the she-cat from his chest but she wasn't letting go until his heart stop beating. In a panicked attempt to save himself the tom drove his chest into the ground, knocking the air straight out of Icepetal as her teeth withdrew from his neck. She snarled weakly in response before coiling and striking like a snake, claws snapping into the corners of the tom's eyes as she pulled herself up using his thick form as an anchor. His cry of agony rang out through the chaos of battle as blood streamed from the incisions made by Icepetal's claws. She grinned viciously at him before plunging her teeth back into his throat.

Within moments his last breath was drawn, his body crumpling to the ground with a hoarse cry of pain as his blood pooled around his neck. Icepetal hardly had time to inhale a deep breath before a sharp pain radiated from her lower back. She spun on her heels with a feral screech, claws slicing through her attacker's face. Dull brown fur got lodged in her claws as she drew away, emotionless yellow eyes staring back at her. Before another blow could be launched, Icepetal pounced forwards and ripped her claws through the soldier's throat. It hit the ground with a thud but no sound of pain threaded from its throat. A shudder rain through Icepetal; didn't these soldiers feel pain?

**-000-**

The battle raged long into the afternoon. Endless streams of blood had stained the snow in the camp scarlet as flurried paws kicked up mud from under the snow. It mixed with the blood and the snow to create a sludge of sorts which just made fighting even harder. Bodies lay strewn in crumpled heaps across the camp, dry and fresh blood staining their pelts. Icepetal's paws slipped in a thick puddle of blood and she hit the ground, _hard_. Stars danced across her eyes as the air was once again knocked from her. Every inch of her body ached dully, not used to such strenuous fighting in a confined space for so long. She was exhausted and her exhaustion was starting to take its toll. Her eyelids fluttered open but then she wished she'd kept them closed. Before her eyes in a puddle of blood so small it was easy to miss were the bodies of Ravenkit and Beetlekit. Beside them, laying in a crumpled mess of flesh, blood and fur, were the bodies of Honeypaw, Brightpaw and – Icepetal's hard came to a shuddering stop – Mintfeather; Lightningfall's mate.

She held back a choking sob at the amount of death that lay before her. Kits, apprentices and a warrior struck down before their time. It was in that moment, surrounded by death and war, that Icepetal made her decision about Tornheart's request. Crimson's bloodshed had to stop and she was going to stop it even if it meant her life might end. One life in return for the lives of many seemed fair enough.

A shadow loomed over her followed by a snarl and the overwhelming smell of death. Icepetal knew it belonged to one of Crimson's soldiers so without sparing another glance at the bodies she rolled onto her belly – a risky move – and kicked up with all her might, hind legs connecting with its skull with a sickening crack. The soldier hit the ground but Icepetal didn't wait to see if it was alive. She launched herself at the nearest enemy and snapped his neck before moving onto the next, teeth puncturing it skull as she bit down on its forehead. A well aimed kick sent the soldier crashing into a waiting SnowClan warrior who immediately ended its life.

Icepetal's eyes searched out her next victim and came to rest on the hulking form of Jasper as he sat atop the boulder from which Stoneclaw – who had taken over leadership after Darkstar's mind was attacked – often made announcements from. Extreme hatred bubbled over inside Icepetal as rage clouded her vision. She'd kill him and then tear his head from his shoulders. With the image of his bloody head rolling through the camp burned into her brain, Icepetal trotted towards the boulder with unsheathed claws sinking into the sludge. Her pelt was no longer white but a mix of brown and red; her eyes narrowed and filling with rage and her tail lashing. She looked intimidating and ready to kill, which she was.

Jasper didn't see what was coming until it hit him in the side, tearing shreds of flesh from his right flank. He howled in pain and then recognised his attacker beneath all the grime that had attached itself to her fur. "Icepetal." The name hissed through his gritted teeth as she hauled herself atop the boulder.

The fighting around them stilled as cats – even those with no minds – turned to watch their battle leader face off an enraged she-cat that had killed so many. "Jasper," Icepetal spat the name like it was poison, "I hope you are prepared to die because you will not be leaving this camp with your head on your shoulders."

The tom shivered slightly, "we do not have to fight," he pleaded quietly. "If you just give up some of your cats to die then we will leave."

"Shut your cowardly mouth or I'll rip it off to!" Then Icepetal attacked teeth and claws biting into Jasper's skin. He retaliated by driving his shoulder into her gut driving the air from her lungs yet again.

Their fight moved off the boulder when Icepetal threw Jasper off her, watching with glinting eyes as his body collided with the sludgy ground. She followed albeit more gracefully only to receive a sharp clout to the head which sent stars trailing across her vision. Pain blossomed from her throat as claws sunk into it. The tables had turned considerably with Icepetal's life hanging in the balance at the claws of Jasper.

She closed her eyes, exhaustion tugging at her muscles yet again. She was too tired to fight on and that exhaustion had finally caught up with her. A small sigh left her mouth as she waited for her throat to be torn open as the claws slowly dug deeper and began to trail sideways, ripping skin as they went. But death didn't come. A shriek of agony did though and forced Icepetal to open her eyes. What she saw brought a slight smile to her face.

Lightningfall stood over Jasper's fallen body, a thick stick driven straight through the rogue's body to where his heart used to beat. His eyes were glazed as blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth, dripping into a sticky puddle that had begun to form beneath him. "I think you owe me big time," Lightningfall's voice was hoarse.

"Probably," Icepetal replied weakly. She wanted nothing more than to fall asleep right where she was until her eyes saw that the sun had almost sink completely and the eerie red glow from the blood moon intensified. Her exhaustion vanished as she jumped to her paws, blue eyes focused on Lightningfall's sad golden eyes. "I have to go," her voice was nothing more than a mere murmur. "I do. But I'll come home as soon as I can, I promise."

The tom's face fell considerably. "Are you sure you can't stay? Do you really have to go? The Clan needs you right now…"

"What I am going to do will help the Clan, all of the Clans," Icepetal replied softly. "Goodbye, Lightningfall." She pressed her nose to his shoulder, a small purr rumbling deep in her chest. He rested his chin on top of her head and sighed sadly.

"Goodbye, Sunshine." The use of his nickname for her sent tiny thrills racing through Icepetal's body but they were soon overcome by sadness as she broke their embrace and slinked out of camp making sure no other cat saw her, disappearing into the gathering darkness with a heavy limp.

* * *

_**SnowClan**_

_Leader: _Darkstar- Dull, brown pelted tom with Crimson's trademark emotionless yellow eyes

_Deputy: _Stoneclaw- Blue tabby tom with gray tail tip

_Medicine Cat: _Flickerfur- a light brown tom with a white underbelly, chin and tail with blue eyes. His body is covered in dark brown dapples. (Lazuli-Gerudo) **Apprentice; Brightpaw**

_Warriors:_

Dawnsplash- Cream calico she-cat

Mintfeather- Fawn tabby she-cat with light throat and chest

Silverfur- Fluffy silver she-cat with patches of white

Blizzardfang- Gray tabby tom with black paws and spots

Whitefire- Pure white tom with a dash of orange on his chest **Apprentice; Owlpaw**

Rabbitheart- Pale ginger tom with long whiskers and a good nose. Large green eyes (ExplosionsAreFun)

Nettleflame- A lithe, skinny, small-framed, spiky-furred, brown tabby she-cat with pale green eyes and a snow white belly (Blizzardsnow)

Sootsplash- A long-legged, spiky-furred, black tom with a splash of white fur on his chest and mossy green eyes (Blizzardsnow) **Apprentice; Eaglepaw**

Aspenthorn- A large, broad-shouldered, sleek pale golden brown tabby tom with white paws and pale amber eyes (Blizzardsnow)

Lightningfall- A large, broad-shouldered, awkwardly long-legged, golden tabby tom with thin, dark stripes and golden-coloured amber eyes (Blizzardsnow)

Duskwing- A long-legged dark gray tabby with dark amber eyes and a white dash in his chest (Blizzardsnow) **Apprentice; Honeypaw**

Gingerstripe- Large bright ginger tom with dark ginger stripes running through his pelt. Narrow, fiery amber eyes (Joyful Call of Soaring Wren)

Pebblefrost- Small tortoiseshell she-cat with white and black patches. Piercing blue eyes (Joyful Call of Soaring Wren) **Apprentice; Dustpaw**

Scorchpelt- Dark ginger tom with dark brown streaks through his fur. Narrow amber eyes (Joyful Call of Soaring Wren)

Icepetal- White she-cat with a brown face (darker towards eyes and lighter towards the edge of her face) and a brown tail. Her eyes are a brilliant blue, inherited from her mother

Oakfrost- Smoky brown tom with splashes of black, green eyes

Dustclaw- Brown tabby tom with a white underbelly and muzzle, blue eyes

Bluesplash- Pale blue she-cat with black clouded tabby stripes and a white tail tip, dark blue-green eyes **Apprentice; Smokepaw**

Silverwater- Small, lithe silver she cat with very faint tabby marks. She has piercing, cold emerald green eyes (Silverwind1313)

Sparrowtail- A slender, long-legged, sleek pale brown tabby she-cat with pale green eyes and white paws (Blizzardsnow)

Thornstrike- A broad-shouldered dark brown tabby tom with dark amber eyes (Blizzardsnow) (Brother to Sootsplash and Sparrowtail) **Apprentice; Thistlepaw **

Tigerstripe- Dark brown tabby tom with bold black stripes

_Apprentices:_

Brightpaw- A small pure white she-cat with bright ginger patches and sky blue eyes (Blizzardsnow)

Thistlepaw- A broad-shouldered, spiky-furred, dark gray tom with pale amber eyes (Blizzardsnow)

Eaglepaw- A long-legged, spiky-furred, dark golden brown tabby tom with white paws and pale green eyes (Blizzardsnow)

Dustpaw- A dusty brown tabby she-cat with mossy green eyes, white paws, and a white muzzle (Blizzardsnow)

Smokepaw- An average-sized, long-legged, broad-shouldered, spiky-furred, dark gray tom with swirly silver marking, white paws, a white chest, and yellow eyes (Blizzardsnow)

Owlpaw- A small golden brown tabby tom with wide yellow eyes and a white chest (Blizzardsnow)

Honeypaw- A long-legged, thick-furred, pale brown tabby tom with white paws and dark green eyes (Blizzardsnow)

_Queens:_

Ashberry- Pale gray she-cat with round green eyes that dim to a pale yellow on the outside. Darker gray spots dot her pelt, and she has a white front paw and black back paws and ear tips (Joyful Call of Soaring Wren)

Leafbreeze- A slender, long-legged, elegantly long-furred, dilute tortoiseshell and white she-cat with pale green eyes (Blizzardsnow)

_Kits: _

Cedarkit- Dark brown tom with white patches and dark amber eyes (ExplosionsAreFun)

Beetlekit- Bright ginger tom with black paws. Green eyes (Joyful Call of Soaring Wren)

Ravenkit- Black she-cat with gray patches and white flecks, icy blue eyes (Joyful Call of Soaring Wren)

Breezekit- Gray tom with a white flash on his chest and leafy green eyes (Joyful Call of Soaring Wren)

Maplekit- A tortoiseshell she-cat with long fur and pale green eyes(Blizzardsnow)

Pinekit- A large long-legged dark brown and white tabby tom with amber eyes (Blizzardsnow)

Bumblekit- A broad-shouldered silver and black tabby she-cat with white paws and pale amber eyes (Blizzardsnow)

_Elders: _

Mistybreeze- Fluffy blue she-cat with white splotches, retired early due to a crushed spinal cord

Brackenclaw- Large golden brown tabby tom with amber eyes and a battle-scarred pelt (Blizzardsnow)

Creamflower- Cream-colored she-cat with white dapples and sky blue eyes (Blizzardsnow)

* * *

**AN: 8551 words. I think I just broke my record for longest chapter. Don't ever expect another chapter to be this long ever again :') Seriously, this took me all weekend to do but it's an important chapter, sets the scene and introduces one of the main characters. **

**It might be a while until the next chapter is up because I still have allegiances to fix up. Also, thank you to all those that submitted cats! You guys are awesome. **

**-Hunter**


	3. Chapter Two: Gentle Waves

**¢нαρтєя тωσ: gєηтℓє ωανєѕ**

Light green eyes fluttered open as soft rays of morning light filtered into the warm den. A chilly ocean breeze drifted through the den, bringing with it the salty smell of the ocean and the sound of large waves crashing into the rocks far below the camp. Quiet purrs of content, sleeping cats filled the den with a pleasant rumble and the owner of the eyes wanted nothing more than to burrow further into the warm fur of his sleeping mate and go back to sleep. "Duty calls," he grumbled to himself before his jaw opened in a large yawn.

The stirring of another cat in the den caught his eye as his jaw closed with a quiet _clack_. His mate shifted beside him, uncomfortable now that her source of warmth was growing cold. A smile spread across his muzzle as he stared down at the peaceful sleeping face of his beautiful mate. She had no idea how happy she made him. "You're up rather early for a cat that isn't going on the dawn patrol, Rainpatch."

"Am I not allowed to watch the sun rise?" Rainpatch whispered in reply as he watched his white-pelted sister stretch luxuriously in her nest, yawning quietly with tired eyes half closed.

"Not without me thinking you're crazy," she retorted smoothly. "Would you like to take my place on the dawn patrol instead? That way you'd get the _best _view of the sunrise whilst trotting alongside a bunch of tired, grumpy, half awake cats."

Rainpatch chuckled quietly as he too rose stiffly to his paws, groaning as his back cracked after remaining still for an entire night. "Not a chance, Cloudflight! Stormwhisker wouldn't be very happy if someone was to, I don't know, tell him that you had given away your chance to take Ashpaw out on a dawn patrol for some more sleep," he purred with a wink, stepping carefully over the sleeping bodies of his Clan mates.

"Oo, you wouldn't dare!" Cloudflight hissed in mock anger, lightly shoving Rainpatch so that he nearly fell onto a sleeping cat. She ducked under her brother's swipe, shaking a pale gray tom until he jolted awake with a surprised _mrrow_.

His amber eyes cleared as he gazed up at Cloudflight, "dawn patrol?" When the white she-cat nodded he rolled his eyes. "Alright. I'll wake the others up and meet you outside. Can we hunt on the way back? I promised Seabird last night I'd catch her a rabbit today."

"That's fine; don't take too long, Sageleap."

Rainpatch didn't hear the end of the conversation for he'd already slipped out into the pale morning light and chilly sea breeze that tugged at his blue fur. He absentmindedly drew his tongue over the circular scar on the tip of his shoulder blade, lost deep in thought. Mornings when he was among the very first awake always seemed to be so peaceful as if nothing was wrong with the world; as if there wasn't a bloody tyrant stalking the shadows. His muzzle crinkled. He wasn't about to let thoughts of Crimson ruin such a pleasant morning.

The sun rising over the mountains directly behind PhoenixClan painted the lapping waves of the eternal ocean with red, pink, orange and gold. Shrieking gulls dove precariously close to the lulling waves as they cawed loudly to one another about whatever it was gulls spoke about. Rainpatch found himself trotting closer to the edge of the cliff WaveClan's camp had been built on, the soft sand beneath his paws changing to cool stone. His claws sunk into shallow cracks and crevices in the stone as he took a deep breath of the salty ocean air he adored so much.

White clouds dotted the pale blue morning sky yet they were poisoned by the red hue resonating from the ugly blood moon that hung lazily in the sky. Rainpatch curled his claws into the hard stone to stop the growl from rumbling in his throat. He _would not _let Crimson ruin his morning.

"Still sure that you don't want to take my place on the dawn patrol?" Cloudflight whined in his ear.

He jumped, startled by her sudden appearance before the tension eased away as a lopsided grin appeared on his face. "No way, wouldn't want my little sister missing out on an early morning jog now would I?"

"Little!? Mother told me that I was the first born and you came out second, like you always do, followed by Riverleap and then Waterkit!" Cloudflight stomped her foot, agitated.

Rainpatch laughed heartily at his sister's obvious annoyance, "that's not what I heard, dear sister. _I _came out first followed by your bottom then head. Might I add that Fishleap said he thought you were a cloud, your bottom was _that _big."

A sharp clout to the head only caused Rainpatch to laugh even louder as his sister glared with murderous eyes. "Speaking of the dawn patrol," he purred after catching his breath, "where is your apprentice? Still sleeping I assume?"

Cloudflight rolled her eyes and pointed towards a den fastened from gorse and brambles with her tail. "Ashpaw is still fast asleep." A mischievous glint appeared in her green eyes as she gazed at her brother, muzzle quirking up into a slight smirk. "You wouldn't happen to know of a way to wake up apprentices that have slept in for too long, do you?"

Silence fell upon the siblings as Rainpatch's eys dashed around camp, his brain frantically trying to think of an amusing way to wake his sister's apprentice up. Finally his gaze fell upon a small mound of sand towards the dirt place. He beamed as an idea came to mind. "The spider that fell on Icestorm last night, did he bury it in that mound over there after he speared it with his claw?"

"Uh, I think so, why? No! That's bad, brother! Bad, but incredibly, mischievously brilliant, I like the way you think," Cloudflight purred quietly, tapping her tail lightly against the stone. She watched with a tilted head as her brother scooted silently across the shifting sand to where the spider had been buried the previous night. Her smirk widened when her brother jerked back with a muffled squeak, the body of the spider landing on the sane behind him. "Didn't know you were scared of an itty bitty spider, brother dear," she teased, padding over to him.

Rainpatch's fur bristled as he tried to shake the feeling of the spider's limp body from him. "Spiders are one filthy creature I hate with a passion. Nasty things with long, hairy legs and hundreds of beady little eyes. Bleugh! Let's just get this little prank over with so that I can go dive in the ocean for a little while." He grabbed a nearby stick, using it to manoeuvre the spider towards the apprentices den with an evil chuckle.

"We're so evil," Cloudflight giggled quietly.

To any onlookers the two warriors might've looked like overgrown kits about to pull a nasty prank on a sibling or friend. Yet these two were in facto grown warriors that some kits might think were mature, well behaved, modest adult cats. The spider dangling from the end of a stick that was clutched in Rainpatch's mouth only helped to damage their 'mature' reputation.

"The Clan knows to expect a prank from us every now and again," Rainpatch replied. "We were even worse as apprentices. Do you remember that hole we spent around a moon digging out and then covering so that Graypaw would fall into it?"

Cloudflight hung her head as her whiskers twitched in amusement. "That particular prank I remember well. Mother was furious when she found out! She was even more furious when Stormwhisker merely let us off with a light warning!"

Warm memories played across Rainpatch's eyes as he squeezed into the cosy den that was filled with the sounds of sleeping cats. It seemed like moons since he'd slept in this den alongside his siblings and friends; trained hard each passing day and snuck out late at night to swim in the cove and pull pranks. He sighed. Sometimes he couldn't help but think that life as an apprentice had been so easy compared to that of warrior. There was always someone there telling you what to do next and how to do it or what you did wrong. As a warrior if you did something wrong you were expected to know how to fix it. He cringed visibly. The amounts of times he'd stuffed up a hunt because of clumsy paws were too high to count.

"There she is," Cloudflight whispered in his ear, "in the nest in the far corner. Try and balance the spider on her muzzle so that she sees it as soon as her eyes open. I'll shake her awake once you're ready."

He nodded to show that he'd heard his sister and then snuck across the den, taking care not to wake any of the sleeping apprentices. They'd probably ruin his fabulous prank if they were to wake up. Thankfully none of them did. "Alright. Let's do this," he chuckled to himself as he slipped the spider onto the nose of the apprentice, using the stick to position the spider correctly. "Done, take it away, Cloudflight."

Cloudflight smiled devilishly as she leant down to begin shaking her apprentice by the shoulder, muttering words into Ashpaw's ear. The dark silver apprentice moaned in her sleep as her eyelids fluttered open to see the spider perched on her nose. Her eyes widened before a scratchy howl ripped from her lungs as she flung the spider from her nose, shooting straight up in her nest whilst breathing heavily. Her howl jerked the rest of the apprentices awake but all they saw was two 'mature' warriors stumbling out of the den laughing so hard that they could hardly breath.

"Did you see the look on her face!?" Cloudflight cried as she collapsed on the sand outside the den, body still racked by laughs.

Rainpatch came to a halt in front of her, laughter rolling out from the pits of his stomach. Heads poked out of dens as cats peered out to see what all the fuss was about. A few even stumbled out with bleary eyes and unsheathed claws as if they expected enemy warriors to jump out at them at any moment. The alarm faded from their eyes when they saw Rainpatch and Cloudflight rolling in the sand laughing loudly. "Who'd you get this time?" a booming voice called as a large blue-gray tom shouldered his way out of the warriors den. His pale green eyes were alight with amusement despite it being so early in the morning.

"Ashpaw," Cloudflight managed to answer through her hysterics.

As she spoke the apprentice in question stumbled out of the den with eyes still drawn wide. "D-did I forget to wake up?" she stammered before straightening herself up. "You could've just prodded me awake! Was there any need to throw a flipping spider at me!?"

"I'm going to assume it was the spider that attacked Icestorm last night?" the blue-gray tom rumbled as he joined the still laughing warriors by the apprentices den.

Rainpatch nodded. "Indeed it was, Stormwhisker," he answered before looking at Ashpaw, "serves you right for leaving my sister to wake you up. As her apprentice you should know of her joking, pranking ways."

"Never sleeping around you two again," Ashpaw grumbled as she slunk over to the dwindling fresh-kill pile.

A shout from Cloudflight stopped the apprentice in her tracks. "No eating for you until we get back, little miss! Your sleep in has made the dawn patrol late. Come on, we need to get a move on or it'll be sunhigh before we've even left!" She shouted for the rest of the patrol to join her and then they trotted out of the camp.

Stormwhisker shook his head slightly, an amused smile spreading across his muzzle. "What are you planning to do this fine morning, Rainpatch?" the deputy asked curiously.

"I was planning on going for a swim in the cove just to wake myself up a little bit before I go hunting or patrolling but if I spot any fish whilst I'm swimming I'll be sure to catch them," Rainpatch answered honestly, pulling himself shakily to his paws. The laughter had drained the adrenaline from his body and left him feeling a little light headed.

"Heathersky's not going to be joining you?" The deputy sounded actually surprised.

Rainpatch shook his head slightly, "no, she's still asleep and I'd rather not wake her so early. My mate needs her beauty sleep or she becomes rather crabby."

The deputy nodded in silent understanding as he watched his Clan slowly waking to another day of duties. "You're a good warrior, Rainpatch. Your joking nature and cheerful ways have always managed to cheer this Clan up in dark times. I hope that you'll remain this happy even when you are old and senile."

"Old and senile!?" Rainpatch sputtered. "Not to offend you, Stormwhisker, but I'm younger than you even if it is only by a few moons. If anyone's going to become old and senile it'll be you! I'll be bringing you a squirrel whilst you laze around in the elders den getting fat because your joints ache." There was a mocking sympathy glinting in the white-patched tom's eyes as he smirked up at the older deputy.

Stormwhisker chuckled, "never grow old, Rainpatch, never grow old." Then the long-legged deputy trotted over to Fishleap as the medicine cat stretched outside his den.

"I don't plan on," Rainpatch grumbled whilst padding slowly to the camp exit. As he passed the warriors den he leaned in to see his mate still fast asleep, her light brown tabby flanks rising up and down with each content breath. It brought a warm smile to the tom's face to see his mate sleeping so peaceful. The smile faltered slightly. Would she ever want kits? He withdrew from the den with a sad sigh, making his way out of the camp. They'd discussed having kits numerous times but Heathersky had always said no. Bringing kits into a world ruled by Crimson wasn't fair on the kits or on them. Rainpatch could see the sense in his mate's reasoning but he feared that because of this he'd never have kits of his own. No one would be standing up to Crimson any time soon, not after the last botched attempt to bring her down by RisingClan cats.

He shuddered as memories of hearing his Clan mates cry out in aguish as their tributes were struck down viciously in those horrific underground tunnels. Somehow PhoenixClan had managed to win but Crimson saw to it that their winner was inducted into her army of mindless slaves before anyone else could get to him. _He'd been a good friend of mine as well; we'd spoken often at gatherings on High Star Island. _

It was quiet outside the camp. Only the cawing sounds of nearby seagulls, the wind stirring the sand and the occasional eagle's cry broke the silence. The silence that was brought on by strolling through the sand dunes early in the morning soothed Rainpatch's worries and allowed him to just let go and forget for a little while. His paws slipped into the well trodden, familiar path that snaked through the yellow sand dunes towards the beach and cove. Despite it being still early in the morning and that the sun wasn't completely warm yet, it was hot out in the sand. Rainpatch shook his fur to dispatch some of the sand that had clung to it as small beads of sweat lined his brow. Now more than ever he wanted to just dive into the fresh, cool waters of the cove.

The ground beneath his paws began to slope downwards as a small path opened up, slicing its way through the cliffs to where the beach lay below. Already he could hear the sloshing of waves against wet sand as well as the trickle of morning dew running off the cliff faces into the cove. The Hidden Cove had earned its name for being so difficult to find unless you practically fell into it or stumbled upon the small path. WaveClan had used it numerous times against other Clans when war had been declared to ambush any attacks made on their camp. It had won them many battles.

A blast of sea-smelling air was blown into Rainpatch's face as he rounded the corner of the hidden path to see the bright cove flooded with early morning, pale sunshine. He smiled and pelted over to the fresh water of the cove. A long leap brought him crashing into the cool water that lapped at his body as he dove under it, soaking his entire body in the space of a few heartbeats. His worries immediately vanished from his mind, sinking to the very bottom of the cove. A strong stroke brought him back to the surface allowing him to suck in a deep breath.

The sloshing of waves against the shore reached his ears even as he swum in the peaceful cove. Elders had told him tales about bloody battles that had taken place in the strong waves of the ocean when an enemy Clan – usually RisingClan – had found their way into the Hidden Cove. So many warriors from both Clans had drowned or had their necks snapped upon impact with the seabed.

"If only every day could be as peaceful as this," he murmured to himself, pulling himself around the cove with gentle strokes. The fresh water of the cove cleaned the sand from his fur as well as soothed his warmed body.

"It could be, you know." Rainpatch did not recognise the voice that called out to him over the sloshing of the waves and he floundered a little out of shock before swimming strongly to the bank with eyes narrowed. "There's no need to hurry; we have all day."

He ignored whoever was speaking and hurried regardless. If it was an enemy warrior then they'd find themselves fleeing back to their territory with their tail between their legs. A growl snaked from his throat as he turned to see two she-cats standing on the opposite bank to him, the one closest to the open ocean. He thought he recognised the white-pelted stranger whose face and tail were broth varying shades of brown but he could not be sure. The other she-cat, however, was completely unknown to Rainpatch.

Prepared to fight for his Clan once again he set off around the bank of the cove at a quick lope, lips drawn back in a fierce snarl. His claws slid out from their sheaths as his fur began to bristle. He found himself picking up speed as the distance between him and the strangers – who strangely enough had not moved much – shrunk. His legs bunched beneath him as he pushed off the ground in a strong leap hoping that it would catch the strangest of the strangers off guard and allow him to gain the upper hand. Yet apparently the stranger had been anticipating his move and easily side-stepped the leap, watching with calm eyes as Rainpatch landed in a heap a little way off.

He groaned as he picked himself up off the ground, resorting to humour to soften his attempted attack. "You couldn't have just stood still, could you?" he asked.

"That would have made this harder than it should be, Rainpatch of WaveClan. My accomplice and I only wish to speak with you about a very serious issue."

The white-pelted she-cat had remained silent this entire time and now that he was close enough, Rainpatch could see that she was injured. Dried blood caked her throat and she held one leg up off the ground. Alarm suddenly clouded his thoughts. How did this she-cat know his name and from which Clan he was from? "Do I know you?"

"You might know of me but no, you do not know me personally. You may, however, know my friend if she decides to speak any time soon."

"I am not your friend," the white-pelted she-cat snarled bitterly. She glanced up at Rainpatch with sharp blue eyes. "Hello, Rainpatch. We met at a gathering once, just after I'd received my warrior name. Does Icepetal from SnowClan remind you of anyone?" Her voice was tried and strained, Rainpatch noted.

He inclined his head as he recalled seeing a younger version of the cat standing before him at a gathering quite a few moons ago. If he was to think about it more deeply he'd work out that Icepetal was around five moons younger than him. The fur along his shoulders bristled as he looked at the still nameless, black-furred she-cat with the greenest eyes he'd ever seen. Something in the back of his mind was screaming the identity of this she-cat at him but he just couldn't hear it. "Are you from SnowClan as well, mystery cat?"

The she-cat laughed quietly. "No. I am from no Clan." She tilted her head to one side. "It surprises me that you do not know me. Icepetal guessed who I was from merely seeing my eyes. You on the other paw have no clue. Strange." There was a lapse in the conversation before the she-cat spoke again. "My name is Tornheart although most of you Clan cats seem to know me as Tornheart the Betrayer."

Rainpatch felt his blood run cold as fierce anger rocketed through his body. "What are you doing in WaveClan territory with a SnowClan cat, betrayer?" he spat angrily. "Where's Crimson or that other devilish she-cat friend of yours?"

"I have come alone for I seek something Crimson has yet to fully understand or even hear about. Do you know of any cat in your Clan that has a circular scar where no fur grows?"

Icepetal met Rainpatch's gaze and she rolled her eyes when he didn't answer, "come on now, handsome, surely it can't be hard to answer yes or no?"

He shifted uncomfortably as Icepetal's eyes roamed over his older body. "I have a mate so keep your eyes to yourself, thank you. In reply to your question no I do not know of any cat with a circular scar in my Clan and if you could be so kind to remain right here whilst I go and get my Clan that would be very nice." The birthmark on his knee suddenly burned and he twitched the muscle, unknowingly drawing the gaze of both she-cats. Icepetal smirked at Tornheart but Rainpatch didn't see it because he was already making his way back to the hidden pathway.

A raised voice reached his ears and it brought him to a jolting stop. "What if I told you that you are the key to Crimson's defeat?"

_Defeat Crimson? He could defeat Crimson?_ "Not you alone." Tornheart had appeared by his shoulder, Icepetal by his other. "Five cats – including you – have been prophesised to cast out the shadows and bring back the light. You and Icepetal are two of those cats. Three still remain unknown."

"Prophecy? If a prophecy has been sent then why haven't the medicine cats of the Clans received it?" he paused as another question came to mind. "Hang on. There are six Clans but only five chosen cats. Why?"

Tornheart smiled slightly. "Observant, aren't you? From whom do you think this prophecy would have come from? As far as all we living cats are concerned there is no longer an afterlife to go to. It was destroyed along with every cat within it. It came from four cats that have been here since the beginning. They passed it onto me directly and I was instructed to set out immediately and find these chosen cats. RisingClan does not have a chosen cat. Their belief has wavered into nothing so none of their cats were able to be touched by the prophecy's power. I went there first and found that not one of them had a circular scar on their body."

"I don't either," Rainpatch quipped without really thinking. The morning was not turning out the way he had planned. No part of him had any interested in venturing away from home simply because he was prophesised to do it. But to defeat Crimson and bring peace back to the Clans? That was certainly a noble calling. His heart swelled considerably. If he defeated Crimson then he and Heathersky would finally be able to have kits; a family of their own.

It was Icepetal that answered by jabbing a claw at his birthmark. "That is your furless scar; your mark."

"It's not a scar. It's a birthmark," he muttered uneasily.

The pretty white she-cat shrugged her shoulders and yawned, obviously comfortable in the presence of a traitor in an enemy Clan's territory. It stirred annoyance within Rainpatch as he remembered Icepetal's Clan mates mentioning her non-Clan blood. "Birthmark, scar, does it really matter? I wasn't exactly pleased to have been chosen in the first place but I'm doing it for my Clan. Crimson needs to die for there to ever be any peace and personally I don't really like the idea of no longer having a sun," Icepetal hissed sharply, her tail lashing. "If I have to die for that to happen then so be it."

Rainpatch jerked back as if he'd been struck by a snake, his green eyes filling with a sudden fear for his life. "If I do join you on this 'prophesised' journey can you guarantee my safety? Can you promise me I'll return home alive?"

"I cannot. I do not know if any of the Chosen will return alive but you are a strong warrior, whether you return home alive is ultimately up to you," Tornheart answered honestly.

"Oh." Rainpatch fell silent as he contemplated what he needed to do.

Tornheart nudged him slightly to catch his attention. "Would you like to hear the prophecy before you make your decision?" When the blue tom nodded Tornheart continued, "Five have been chosen; born in the darkest of times; blessed by the purest of hearts; soiled by the harshest of lives. They will cast out the shadows and bring back the light. But not without hardships, for all victories must be won with loss."

_Purest of hearts? How can any cat have a pure heart? _He didn't want to go; didn't want to leave the mate he loved with all his heart and the family he adored. But if he went, defeated Crimson and brought back the light then the Clans would be completely at peace. _Peace._ How much Rainpatch wanted to feel entirely at peace instead of worrying about Crimson's soldiers lurking in the shadows or what young life might be cut short next. If Crimson was defeated it would open up a world of new paths that Rainpatch had yet to take, the most alluring was the path to kits and a family with Heathersky. He knew what he had to do to protect his Clan and blooming family. Crimson would die under his claws.

"I will join you but only as long as it is my claws that slice through Crimson's neck," Rainpatch answered strongly.

"You'll have to argue that right with the others when we find them," Icepetal smirked as she drew her thick tail across his flank. "Personally I don't care who kills her just as long as she dies."

Rainpatch shouldered her away with a disgusted look, "I have a mate!"

The she-cat huffed, rolling her eyes. "Why is it that all the good looking ones have mates?" Her question went unanswered.

"Do you want to do anything before we move on to the next Clan?" Tornheart asked.

"Actually I'd like to say goodbye to my mate. I assume I can't tell her anything about this at all in case any of Crimson's cronies drag it out of her?"

Tornheart's smile actually managed to reach her eyes and it made her seem so much younger and livelier, even a little pretty in a dark, dangerous way. "You can't tell a soul about this but I wouldn't worry about having to return to camp. If your mate's a pretty, young brown tabby with the stormiest blue eyes then she's about halfway over to us right now."

"What!?" Rainpatch whirled around to find that Tornheart had indeed been telling the truth. His mate was trotting quickly over to him her tail twitching with agitation. She looked rather annoyed even a tad angry. Shooting a worried glance at the two she-cats behind him he hurried over to her, worry settling into his gut like a stone. Heathersky would trust him, right? "Hello, dear!"

"Don't you hello dear me!" Heathersky hissed through her teeth, glancing worriedly over her mate's shoulder at the strangers on the beach. "What are you doing with two strange she-cats that are so deep in WaveClan territory? Why haven't you chased them off yet?!"

Rainpatch sighed as he fumbled for an excuse to use. Maybe he could just tell her what he was doing without really saying what he was doing? "Because I'm going with them." When Heathersky looked like she was about to interrupt he shot her a sharp look. "I'll be coming home, I promise you that! But it mightn't be for a while. We are going to do something that will benefit every single cat in every single Clan."

"Why haven't you asked me to come with you then?" Heathersky mumbled sadly. Her usual warm personality had vanished behind confusion, sadness and anger.

"Because it is too dangerous. I want you to stay here and look after the Clan whilst I'm gone, keep them positive and happy. Cloudflight will help you," he smiled warmly at her and nuzzled her neck fur, hoping to persuade her that he'd be fine if she stayed behind.

Heathersky leaned against him with a long sigh, "I don't know why you've kept this to yourself for so long, love, but if you have to go then you have to go. Just promise me you'll come home alive? One day our kits will need a father and it better be you! I'll tell the Clan that I haven't seen you all morning if that makes your leaving any easier."

"And that," Rainpatch licked her cheek, "is why I love you. I promise I'll come back alive and I promise that when I do everything will be better. I love you, Heathersky."

"I love you too, Rainpatch. Goodbye and I suppose I should say good luck." With a final touch of muzzles the two parted, each going their own separate ways; Heathersky back to the Clan and Rainpatch to wherever his journey was going to lead him.

* * *

**_WaveClan_**

_Leader: _Sandstar- Dull, brown pelted she-cat with Crimson's trademark yellow eyes

_Deputy: _Stormwhisker- A large, broad-shouldered, long-legged, long-furred, dark blue-gray tom with pale green eyes (Blizzardsnow)

_Medicine Cat:_ Fishleap- Blue-silver tabby tom with gray underbelly and chest. **Apprentice; Minnowstripe**

_Warriors:_

Blossomstreak- Dusty red she-cat with black stripes

Gustfeather- Long-haired fluffy white she-cat

Sageleap- Small pale gray almost white tom with amber eyes (Blizzardsnow)

Seabird- Dark blue she-cat with silver stripes on her belly

Heathersky- Light brown tabby she-cat with white ear and tail tips. Her muzzle is black and her eyes are stormy blue

Icestom- A huge, broad-shouldered, well muscled but lean, sleek white tom with bright blue eyes, silver paws, silver ears, a silver face, and a silver-tipped tail. He has a scar on his left shoulder and a shredded right ear (Blizzardsnow)

Mintclaw- A small, broad-shoulder, muscular, sleek gray tabby she-cat with dark green eyes, unusually longer front claws, and a whitening muzzle because of aging (Blizzardsnow)

Graypelt- A blue gray tom with a white tail and yellow eyes (Striker in the Night)

Songbird- Silver she-cat with lighter underbelly and amber eyes

Shadowtail - Black tom with amber eyes (Wolfgrowl)

Rainpatch- Long-furred blue tom with patches of white and light green eyes

Cloudflight- Thin white she-cat with green eyes

_Apprentices:_

Rosepaw- An average-sized, long-legged, slender, sleek white she-cat with pale blue eyes, silver paws, a silver face, silver ears, and a silver-tipped tail (Blizzardsnow)

Lightpaw- Golden tom with pale gray tabby stripes and green eyes (Striker in the Night)

Ashpaw- Sleek dark silver she-cat with black flecks and a white muzzle, amber eyes

Patchpaw- White tom with black patches and a silver tail tip, green eyes

Nightpaw- Black tom with a single silver forepaw, green eyes

Frostpaw- Silver tabby she-cat with black patches, amber eyes

_Queens:_

Bluestream- An average-sized, broad-shouldered, long-legged, dainty-pawed, sleek, elegantly long-furred, slender, blue-gray she-cat with vivid pale green eyes and white paws (Blizzardsnow)

Petalbreeze- A tall, long-legged, ragged-furred, slender, dilute tortoiseshell she-cat with white petal-like patches, creamy paws, and yellow eyes (Blizzardsnow)

Stripecloud- A dark gray tabby she-cat with light gray stripes and green eyes (Strike in the Night)

Whitefrost - Gray she-cat with white paws and chest, yellow eyes (Wolfgrowl)

_Kits:_

Whitekit- A small white she-cat with long, messy fur and pretty blue eyes (Blizzardsnow)

Creekkit- A large, long-furred, blue-gray tabby tom with a white chest and blue eyes (Blizzardsnow)

Mintkit- A pale blue-gray she-cat with pale green eyes and silver markings (Blizzardsnow)

Seakit- Pale ginger she-kit with a long stripe that goes along her back, yellow eyes (Striker in the Night)

Spiderkit- Black she-kit with a white tail and paws, dark green eyes (Striker in the Night)

Tallkit- Black tom with amber eyes and long legs (Wolfgrowl)

Whitekit- White she-cat with yellow eyes (Wolfgrowl)

Pouncekit- White tom with black paws and yellow eyes (Wolfgrowl)

_Elders:_

Willowbreeze- Tortoiseshell she-cat with creamy paws, currently dying due to a crushed rib cage that then caused internal damage

Whitesong- Small pure white she-cat with pale green eyes and long fur (Blizzardsnow)

Scorchfur- Black tom with yellow eyes (Blizzardsnow)

* * *

**AN: Update came sooner than even I expected. Oh well, aren't you guys lucky? :) Long chapter, not as long as the previous one, but still long. I'd like to thank all the people that created cats for me, especially Blizzardsnow seeing as she's supplied cats for three Clans. Thanks, darl! **

**Until next time,**

**-нυηтєя**


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